Trump’s Wars and the Threat to Free Speech
Monday September 10, 2018
It looks like Trump will plunge us into war, either in Iran or Syria, and possibly both with the truly frightening prospect of Russia and the US going up against each other.
I remember Bush the Elder’s first war in Iraq. I recall my coworkers all of a sudden morphing into little war zealots overnight, demanding I show the flag and support for “our” troops.
During the second rape of Iraq it was simply remarkable watching the televised talking heads condemning those of us opposed to that illegal and criminal war. Bill O’Reilly of Fox News told us to shut up. All of a sudden practicing the First Amendment was considered traitorous behavior (unless you worked for Fox News). Supporting the troops was mandatory. There were waving flags and SUPPORT OUR TROOPS billboards and bumperstickers everywhere. Yellow ribbons tied around old oaks trees. Endless super-hysterical news broadcasts spreading easily debunked lies.
Later, it was discovered Bush and his coterie of mentally-disturbed neocons had lied about the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. But this didn’t matter, not to the president and his advisers or, for that matter, millions of Americans who were convinced—thanks primarily to non-stop war propaganda—Saddam wanted to kill every last American with nukes and nerve agents. A couple years later George W. Bush responded to the criticism by staging a comedy routine about not finding WMDs under his desk.
read on...
